Can CDL holders take the Missouri Driver Improvement Program?

Can a CDL holder take the Driver Improvement Program in Missouri?

Not to keep points off. RSMo 302.302.5 accepts the program for violations "other than a violation committed in a commercial motor vehicle" or "a violation committed by an individual who has been issued a commercial driver's license or is required to obtain a commercial driver's license in this state or any other state."

The Missouri Safety Center puts it in one line: you cannot participate "if you possess a Commercial Driver License (CDL)."

Does it matter that I was in my personal car?

No. The second half of the exclusion is about the driver, not the vehicle. If you hold a CDL, a speeding ticket in your pickup on a Sunday is excluded the same as one in the truck.

Does it matter that my CDL is from another state?

No. The statute says "this state or any other state."

I drive a commercial vehicle but don't have a CDL. Am I excluded?

If the ticket was written while you were driving a commercial motor vehicle, yes. The law also excludes a driver who "is required to obtain" a CDL.

Should a CDL holder buy the course anyway?

Not for this. We'd be taking $24.99 for a course that can't do what you need. If a court orders you to take a driving course as part of a sentence or probation, that's a different purpose, and the court's paperwork will say so.

What can a CDL holder do about a ticket?

Talk to the court or the prosecutor before you plead, and think about talking to an attorney. A moving violation can count toward CDL disqualification as well as points. The Department of Revenue's points chart marks the violations that are used toward disqualification under RSMo 302.700 to 302.780.

We don't give legal advice, and the right step depends on the charge and your record.

Do points still come off a CDL holder's record over time?

Yes. Points on your base driving privilege are reduced the same way as anyone's: by a third after one year without a new conviction, by half of the remainder after two, and to zero after three. See how long points stay.